I'm an independent videographer starting my business up and am trying to figure out what audio gear that is absolutely necessary. I plan on building it up over time, I just want to find out what I have to absolutely buy to start. I have purchased a Sennheiser G2 wireless Lav, handheld pkg. I am using the on board mic that my Canon XL2 came with, (for now)

Can anyone offer suggestions on manufacturers, models, reviews of gear? I know I can pay $5K a piece for things, I just want to find something reasonable to start out and build from there. Something thats in the Sennheiser G2 range.

Field mixers? Shotgun mics? Portable Digital Recorder? I understand the importance of audio, I just need to figure out what models to buy.

The archive is your friend my friend. These same questions get asked a lot. If you're a one man band, I'd say you can't have enough wireless. You probably don't need a mixer just yet. Concentrate on mics and wireless. The two channel AT diversity is great for working solo. You can route two units to one channel and the on-camera mic to the other, for one thing. You'd need a different mic than the stock one to do that though. For the on-camera mic, I've yet to find a better option than the ME64. It's small enough to stay on the camera for one thing. Shotguns are probably too long to fit in your case. Also, the wider cardiod pattern of a mic like the ME64 often works better for walking shots. I just shot a conference over the weekend, and the increased off-axis rejection of my shotgun (CS3e) actually hurt some of the footage.

I'm an independent videographer starting my business up and am trying to figure out what audio gear that is absolutely necessary. I plan on building it up over time, I just want to find out what I have to absolutely buy to start. I have purchased a Sennheiser G2 wireless Lav, handheld pkg. I am using the on board mic that my Canon XL2 came with, (for now)

Can anyone offer suggestions on manufacturers, models, reviews of gear? I know I can pay $5K a piece for things, I just want to find something reasonable to start out and build from there. Something thats in the Sennheiser G2 range.

Field mixers? Shotgun mics? Portable Digital Recorder? I understand the importance of audio, I just need to figure out what models to buy.

Hello Jon,

I think it's wise to buy what you need when you need it and build from there. What sort of projects do you expect to be working on in the immediate future?

Based on the widely varying needs of the types of projects you mention, your basic starting mic kit should probably include a hypercardioid, a wireless lav (with the addition of a wired lav if your budget supports it), and a shotgun, in roughly that order of importance. With those things in place you'll be able to cover most situations, and can pick up additional things along the way as you decide you need them. Don't forget cables, wind protection, a boom pole if you plan on being able to enlist the services of a boom op, and a shockmount. As for the latter, you might consider something like this, which can be mounted on a boom pole, but can also be mounted on your XL2's hot shoe if needed. A couple of boom-equipped mic stands might or might not come in handy for situations where there's no boom op, but their usefulness (or lack thereof) depends on what you're shooting and how you're shooting it.

As for suggesting brands and models at the low-to-mid end of the cost spectrum, a lot of that depends on your own tastes and needs, and you'll just have to do a little research. This forum is a very good place to do that, as the "which mic should I buy?" question has been covered hundreds if not thousands of times. Do lots of searches and lots of reading, and you'll begin to get a feel for what would be best for you.

Based on the widely varying needs of the types of projects you mention, your basic starting mic kit should probably include a hypercardioid, a wireless lav (with the addition of a wired lav if your budget supports it), and a shotgun, in roughly that order of importance. With those things in place you'll be able to cover most situations, and can pick up additional things along the way as you decide you need them. Don't forget cables, wind protection, a boom pole if you plan on being able to enlist the services of a boom op, and a shockmount. As for the latter, you might consider something like this, which can be mounted on a boom pole, but can also be mounted on your XL2's hot shoe if needed. A couple of boom-equipped mic stands might or might not come in handy for situations where there's no boom op, but their usefulness (or lack thereof) depends on what you're shooting and how you're shooting it.

As for suggesting brands and models at the low-to-mid end of the cost spectrum, a lot of that depends on your own tastes and needs, and you'll just have to do a little research. This forum is a very good place to do that, as the "which mic should I buy?" question has been covered hundreds if not thousands of times. Do lots of searches and lots of reading, and you'll begin to get a feel for what would be best for you.

In addition to what Jarrod suggests, I'd put in for a Sound Devices 302 mixer. Audio-Technica ATH-m50 headphones, and either a light stand, grip head and fishing rod holder as I describe in my TyFord'sBoom.mov or a C-stand, grip head fishing rod holder.

I always try to buy right the first time so I don't have to buy again. If you're not going after this professionally, you don't need to.